South Carolina beat No. 16 Florida 38-19 on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, as LaNorris Sellers threw four touchdown passes to lead the Gamecocks past the Gators. The result dropped Florida to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play, while South Carolina improved to 3-3.
Sellers completed 23 of 35 passes for 279 yards and four scores without an interception, spreading the ball to five different receivers. South Carolina controlled the game for long stretches, converting 10 of 16 third-down attempts while Florida’s defense repeatedly let the Gamecocks extend drives. Florida quarterback Aaron Philo threw for 227 yards and a touchdown but threw an interception and lost a fumble, part of three total Gators turnovers that proved costly.
How South Carolina Beats Florida 38-19: Key Moments
Florida struck first when Philo found Bailey Stockton for a 59-yard touchdown just over three minutes into the game. South Carolina answered before the end of the first quarter, as Sellers hit Nyck Harbor for a 15-yard touchdown on third down to tie the score 7-7.
The second quarter turned on a Philo interception that set up a Mazeo Bennett Jr. touchdown catch, giving South Carolina a 17-10 lead at the half after a Malik Orsan field goal had briefly tied the game at 10. Florida never led again.
South Carolina pulled away in the third quarter. Donovan Murph caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to push the margin to 24-13, and Sellers capped the drive late in the quarter with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 31-13. South Carolina also benefited from a forced fumble by Dylan Stewart that knocked the ball loose from Philo in the red zone, with the Gamecocks recovering at their own 16-yard line to snuff out a Florida scoring chance.
Lex Cyrus added a 21-yard touchdown reception with 8:07 left in the fourth quarter to make it 38-13. South Carolina’s defense also intercepted a Tramell Jones Jr. pass after a drop by Evan Chieca, further smothering Florida’s comeback hopes. Jadan Baugh scored on a two-yard run with 1:01 left, but Florida’s two-point conversion try failed.
Top Performers From Both Sides
Sellers finished 23 of 35 passing for 279 yards and four touchdowns, completing 66% of his attempts. Harbor led South Carolina’s receivers with four catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Bennett added seven catches for 35 yards and a score. Matt Fuller paced the Gamecocks’ ground game with 52 yards on 10 carries.
For Florida, Stockton caught eight passes for 127 yards and the 59-yard touchdown. Baugh led all rushers with 59 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Philo finished 21 of 28 for 227 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a lost fumble. Patrick Durkin made two field goals.
What The Loss Means For Florida
Florida came into the game trying to bounce back from a 28-point loss to Missouri and instead dropped its second straight game. The Gators ran 10 consecutive drives for 321 total yards but scored just 12 points after their opening touchdown, showing how often Florida’s offense stalled. Receiver Vernell Brown III did not play for the second straight week because of a knee injury. Florida is likely to fall out of the AP Top 25 following the defeat.
South Carolina, which had opened SEC play 0-3 amid uncertainty about its head coach’s future, used a balanced passing attack from Sellers to dominate. The Gamecocks finished with 393 total yards to Florida’s 387, but South Carolina’s turnover margin, zero to Florida’s three, decided the game.
What’s Next
Florida travels to No. 1 Texas next, followed by a bye week before hosting No. 2 Georgia. South Carolina continues SEC play. season in Total Apex Sports’ South Carolina vs Florida preview and the earlier report on Dylan Stewart’s return from suspension, as well as the team’s quarterback situation detailed in the piece on Cutter Woods getting more reps.
More College Football news from Total Apex Sports.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
